Frequently Asked Questions

Have there been any recent public presentations about the Bellingham Shipping Terminal I can watch?

Port staff presented a Bellingham Shipping Terminal update to the Port Commission on May 6, 2025. You can watch the presentation starting at minute 1:52:17 in the following You Tube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbb84XQSNG8  or view the presentation slides here.

What types of cargo are you trying to get for the Shipping Terminal?

One interesting opportunity which might be a good fit at the Shipping Terminal is cargo shipped in "rotainers". Check out this link to an informational video about rotainers. The Port has a full-time Marine Terminals Business Development Manager who is in regular contact with shipping companies interested in a congestion free alternative to the terminals north and south of Whatcom County. Most potential customers are interested in shipping “breakbulk” cargo, an industry term for goods which don't fit in standard-size shipping containers such as cars, manufacturing equipment, food products or construction equipment. In 2022, Washington ports handled the import and export of 55.5 Billion tons of non-containerized cargo such as automobiles, timber and grain worth $36.5 Billion. More than a dozen of the world’s top auto manufacturers ship cars into terminals at the Port of Vancouver, Canada. These terminals are congested and car companies often experience significant delays getting vehicles to market. After a project to restore the navigation depth in front of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal is completed, the Port will be a viable alternative for companies importing automobiles and other breakbulk products into the United States.

What cargo activity is happening at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal?

Short-Term Layberthing. The ongoing modernization project at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal has restored some of the traditional navigation depth in the Whatcom Waterway allowing a new class of vessels to call on the terminal and create jobs for our community. In January 2025, the Seamaster and CL Hengyang were the first two ships within this new vessel class to arrive temporarily to clean their holds in preparation to load grain and other cargo at other ports. The fresh water used to clean these vessels is kept on board as ballast and not discharged into local waters. ILWU Local 7 Longshoremen, Ship Agents, Security Personnel and Cleaning Professionals are some of the workforce hired by ship operators to support this activity.  

Seasonal Layberthing. The Shipping Terminal is hosting the "Hannah" for the 2024/25 winter season. The Hannah is a 400' by 100' barge built in Bellingham as an innovative, all-in-one solution for buying, freezing, shipping, storing, and distributing wild Alaskan salmon. ILWU Local 7 Longshoremen load frozen salmon from the Hannah onto trucks for distribution by local seafood companies. The Hannah will return to Bristol Bay in Alaska for the 2025 fishing season. 

Barging Rocks: Barging large rocks is a regular cargo activity at the Shipping Terminal in the spring and summer months. Basalt rocks ranging between 8 and 35 tons are sourced from Whatcom and Skagit County quarries, driven on trucks to the Shipping Terminal, loaded onto barges and shipped to the Columbia River to repair the structural integrity of the north & south jetties. For more information about the jetty repair projects, visit http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/jetties/ 

What construction activity is happening at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal?

The Port is modernizing the Shipping Terminal to meet the infrastructure needs of today's shipping industry. This $30+ Million project is fortifying the main dock to allow heavy cargo and equipment, restoring the navigation depth to allow a much wider range of potential cargo, installing a state-of-the-art stormwater management system to protect Puget Sound, and creating family-wage jobs throughout the region. The Bellingham Shipping Terminal Modernization Project is supported by a $6.85 Million Federal Grant.  

Another project under construction is removing overhead power lines to improve safety and allow more efficient use of the terminal. Underground power is being extended to the wharf so cargo vessels can run on electricity instead of diesel generators. This project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality for maritime workers and community members. Future improvements at the Shipping Terminal include adding a barge ramp, strengthening additional sections of the wharf, restoring rail access, cleaning up historic contamination from the Whatcom Waterway and from the surrounding uplands. The Port is committed to fully activating the Shipping Terminal to create family-wage jobs for our community.

How can I learn more about when barges or ships are scheduled to arrive and depart from the Shipping Terminal?

Community members can view ship schedules by visiting this link and sign up to get email or text notifications when this schedule is updated.

Why isn't there more cargo activity at the Shipping Terminal?

Cargo activity has been limited for many years due to restrictions caused by historic industrial contamination in the land and water. The Port continues to make the improvements necessary to reactivate the Shipping Terminal as the cornerstone of Whatcom County’s working waterfront. The Port is dredging in front of the terminal to remove historic contamination and restore the navigation depth for better cargo vessel access. The Port is also rebuilding the main wharf to allow heavier cargos and support a cargo crane while incorporating a state-of-the-art stormwater treatment system. Another project under construction is removing the overhead power lines to improve safety and allow more efficient use of the terminal. Underground power is being to the wharf so cargo vessels can run on electricity instead of diesel generators. Future improvements will include adding a barge ramp, repairing additional sections of the wharf, restoring rail access, and cleaning up historic contamination from the Whatcom Waterway and from the surrounding uplands. The Port is committed to fully activating the Shipping Terminal to create family-wage jobs for our community

Why don't you try to get the large container ships like you see at the Port of Seattle or Port of Tacoma?

The Bellingham Shipping Terminal does not have the navigation depth to accommodate larger container ships. Cargo vessels need a minimum amount of water to float and not touch bottom depending on their size which is called a ship’s “draft”. After a project to remove high spots in the Whatcom Waterway is complete in 2025 the Bellingham Shipping Terminal will have a draft depth of 34 feet. The large container ships you see at the Port of Seattle and Tacoma need a draft depth of at least 42 feet.

Why don't shipping customers use the railroad tracks next to the Shipping Terminal?

The Shipping Terminal does not have a connection to BNSF's rail network. In 2024, the Port secured a $17.9 million federal grant to reconnect the Shipping Terminal to the BNSF main line and return this asset to a fully functioning mulitmodal terminal. The new rail connection is expected to be in service by 2028.  Ship-to-rail cargo is a highly efficient, low-carbon method for transporting goods which removes trucks from the road, alleviates congestion and enhances trade.

Why has there been such a long period of inactivity at the Shipping Terminal after Georgia-Pacific shut down its Pulp and Paper Mill on Bellingham’s downtown waterfront?  

When Georgia-Pacific shut down its Bellingham Pulp Mill in 2001, the company left behind a footprint of historic contamination in the land and water which restricted vessel access to the Shipping Terminal and limited cargo operations. In 2016, the Port completed one of the largest cleanup projects in state history, removing pollution from the Whatcom Waterway and restoring limited navigation access to the Shipping Terminal. The Port started investing in the equipment and infrastructure needed to modernize the terminal and hired a Marine Terminals Business and Development Manager to recruit customers. The Port continues to invest in cleanup and construction projects necessary to fully activate the Shipping Terminal and restore it as a cornerstone of Bellingham’s working waterfront.

In addition to jobs, what other benefits are associated with reactivating the Shipping Terminal?

Moving cargo through the Shipping Terminal has a ripple effect on the regional economy. The terminal generates business revenue for local and national firms including steamship agents, pilots, chandlers, towing firms, bunkering firms, marine surveyors, launch services, shipyards, customhouse brokers, longshoremen, stevedoring firms, terminal operators, government agencies, and professional consultants. These firms provide employment and income to individuals, pay taxes to local and state governments, and support local businesses like hardware stores, equipment rental and repair companies, hotels, restaurants, office suppliers, communications and utilities, etc. Increased tax and business revenue for the Port, City and Whatcom County allows local governments to spend additional resources on public services.

Does shipping cargo fit with the parks, residences, and the other mixed uses being developed on Bellingham’s downtown waterfront?  

The Port is working hard to develop a vibrant, mixed-use waterfront where marine trades are located near cool public spaces; where affordable housing is located next to market-rate condominiums; and where teenagers working at restaurants and retail shops might one day earn a living-wage at the Shipping Terminal. This is the vision our community championed during the many years of public process it took to develop a Master Plan for Bellingham’s downtown waterfront. Bellingham’s maritime heritage is stronger than ever with over 6,000 jobs in Whatcom County created or supported by marine trades. The working waterfront is a source of great pride in our community and the Shipping Terminal has been strategically integrated into a diverse mix of waterfront land uses to provide living-wage jobs and support a strong and sustainable economy. 

What is the long-term vision for the Shipping Terminal?

The Port continues to clean-up historic industrial contamination from the land and water surrounding the Shipping Terminal and invest in a wide range of infrastructure improvements needed to maximize its job-creating potential. The Port will eventually develop a series of light industrial buildings to serve as a buffer between the job-creating activities located around the Shipping Terminal and residential and other uses on the downtown waterfront. Trucks will initially be used to transfer cargo between land and water until a rail connection with the BNSF mainline is reestablished. 

What grants have you secured for terminal improvements?

The Port has secured a $17.9 million grant to reconnect rail to the shipping terminal, a $6.85 million federal grant to help rehabilitate the wharf and restore navigation depth, a $2.8 million state grant to allow cargo vessels to switch off diesel generators and connect to electricity, a $1.5 million federal grant to inform the potential development of a micro-grid energy system using solar panels on the warehouse roofs to charge large marine batteries made by local manufacturer Corvus Energy, and a $1 million federal grant to support the purchase of a portable barge ramp to support the movement of goods between Bellingham and San Diego on the US Marine Highway Route M-5.

How important is the working waterfront to the regional and state economy? 

According to a 2024 analysis by McKinley Research Group, Whatcom County's Maritime Industry supports 6,400 jobs, $416 million in labor income and $1.6 billion in business revenues. A study from the Washington Maritime Federation pegs the economic impact of Washington State maritime industries at nearly $46 billion and over 170,000 jobs. In 2022, Washington ports handled the import and export of 55.5 Billion tons of non-containerized cargo such as automobiles, windmills and grain worth $36.5 Billion.